Medication-Assisted Treatment

Opioid Treatment Program

Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) services are led by Board Certified Addiction Medicine physicians to provide medication-assisted treatment and group, individual, and family therapy for those addicted to opioids, such as pain killers and heroin. OTP provides Methadone to chronic opiate-dependent persons, unison with therapeutic services and family therapy. Suboxone and Vivitrol are also used in opioid addiction treatment.

Eligibility:

18 years of age or older

Opioid substance abusers with at least one year of addiction to opiates with evidence of opioid usage or withdrawal symptoms

Pregnant women currently using opiates

Methadone

Methadone treatment has successfully been used with pregnant women since the early 1970s. There is little to no risk for both the mother and infant. Women can conceive and have normal pregnancies and deliveries while Methadone provides a non-stressful, noneventful environment for the fetus to develop.

Vivitrol

Vivitrol is a prescribed injectable medication given once a month to treat alcohol dependence and assist in preventing relapse to opioid detox. A recent study showed alcohol and opioid-dependent patients who participated in counseling and took Vivitrol (naltrexone for extended-release injectable suspension) after detox had better results than patients who participated in counseling without Vivitrol. In order to avoid sudden opioid withdrawal, patients must stop taking opioids or any medications containing opioids, including buprenorpire or methadone, for at least 7 to 14 days. Sudden opioid withdrawal can be severe and may require hospitalization.

Buprenorphine (Suboxone)

Buprenorphine is a prescribed medication that is used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help people reduce or quit their use of heroin or other opiates, such as pain relievers like morphine. One of 2 formulations can be prescribed to treat opioid addiction –one formulation only contains buprenorphine and the other contains buprenorphine and naloxone.

Unlike methadone treatment, which must be performed in a highly structured clinic, buprenorphine is the first medication to treat opioid dependency that is permitted to be prescribed or dispensed in physician offices, significantly increasing treatment access.